Fair Trade
by Attenia
Summary: Aragorn is horrified when Legolas jumps in front of an arrow to save him, nearly dying in the process. He insists that his life for the life of an immortal isn't a fair trade, but Legolas won't listen to him. Elrond and the twins find way to help both friends move forward. OOC Aragorn and Legolas.


It was a beautiful day, and Aragorn intended to enjoy it. After swimming with the twins for a few hours, he was relaxing on the banks of their favorite lake near Imladris. Elladan and Elrohir were still in the water, doing their best to drown each other, by the looks of it.

He sat up and stretched, glancing at the sky. The sun was starting to set, and they needed to head back soon if they wanted to be home before dark.

Aragorn's musings were interrupted by something warm and solid hitting him so hard that he was thrown flat on the ground. He blinked through the face full of blond hair. "Legolas?" He pulled the elf back slightly to get a look at him. It was indeed his best friend. "I thought you weren't due until next week! It's so good to see you, mellon nin."

It was then that Aragorn realized something was wrong. Legolas wasn't responding, lying limp in his embrace. "Legolas?"

He quickly sat up to examine his friend. What Aragorn found had his heart clenching in fear. A black bolt protruded from Legolas' back, piercing the center of his chest. No. No, it couldn't be. He pressed a shaking hand to his friend's neck.

Aragorn could have collapsed in relief when he felt a pulse. That wouldn't continue for long, though, not at the rate Legolas was bleeding. Already, both of their clothes and the ground around them were stained bright red. Legolas appeared to have passed out.

"Elladan! Elrohir!" The twins paused in their water romping and glanced over at him. When they saw Legolas covered in blood, they both bolted for the edge of the lake, not even bothering to get dressed as they knelt beside the elf.

"What happened?" Elladan asked, tearing the prince's shirt off around the wound.

"I don't know! One minute I was sitting in the sun, the next moment he was barreling into me and bleeding all over the place."

"Elrohir, go," Elladan said tensely, and the younger twin started pulling on his pants, forgoing a shirt and snatching his sword. Of course, that was an orc bolt. They needed to make sure that any orcs in the area were killed at once. Aragorn should have thought of that, but fear for Legolas was pushing all else out of his mind.

He reached for the prince's back, but Elladan batted his hands away. "I can help," Aragorn insisted.

His brother spared a moment to give him a kind smile. "I know you're a talented healer, Estel, but your hands are shaking so much I fear you will disturb the arrow."

Aragorn looked down in surprise to realize that his brother was right. He'd seen Legolas hurt before, but not this badly. Never this badly. Could his friend survive such a wound?

Forcing himself not to think about that, Aragorn started tearing up his cloak to make bandages. They hadn't brought any healing supplies to the lake, not having thought they would need any.

"It has punctured his lung and is perilously close to his heart." Elladan carefully started wrapping the bandages Aragorn handed him around the arrow wound. "This is beyond my skill, or yours. We need to take him to Ada before removing the bolt."

Aragorn was up and running at once, getting the horses. Just as he had them saddled, Elrohir returned, his sword covered in blood.

"Orcs are taken care of." He knelt next to Legolas. "How is he?"

"Not good." Elladan's expression was grim. "Here, let me mount then hand him up to me."

"I'll take him!"

"No, Estel, let me do it."

Aragorn nodded, knowing they didn't have time to argue about this. Hot, burning guilt was bubbling up inside him. He knew what had happened; it really wasn't that hard to work out. Legolas had arrived earlier than expected, and found out from Elrond where he and the twins were. The prince had come to meet them at the lake, and had been the only one to see the orc archer taking aim.

He'd thrown himself in front of the bolt to save Aragorn. Aragorn thought he might be sick. This was all his fault. Why would Legolas do that? What was wrong with him?

There was no time for those questions, so he helped Elrohir gently lift Legolas up onto Elladan's horse, his back with the arrow in it facing forward, so that the bolt wouldn't be disturbed.

"What if the movement of the riding shifts the arrow?" He glanced between the twins, hoping one of them would have an answer.

"I'll try to hold him as still as possible, but that's all I can do. He needs Ada, and he needs him now."

The ride back to Imladris passed in a blur. Elrond was waiting for them, his uncanny ability to tell when something was wrong with one of his sons no doubt having tipped him off. He turned first to Aragorn, apparently expecting him to be the injured one, but Aragorn waved him away. "It's Legolas, Ada. Please, you have to help him."

Elrond paled slightly at the sight of the bloodied prince, but he took it in his stride. "Bring him to the healing halls, quickly."

Aragorn followed behind as the twins carried Legolas and laid him on a bed. Elrond was already working over him, examining the wound, checking the prince's pulse and breathing.

"What can I do, Ada?" Aragorn asked desperately.

Elladan and Elrohir were handing Elrond herbs and bandages, a job that Aragorn usually did, being the best at healing of the three. Apparently, they thought him too distressed to be useful, because Elrond hushed him distractedly.

"Let me work, ion nin."

The door burst open and Glorfindel ran into the healing ward. "Valar, Legolas! What happened?"

"Glorfindel, please take Estel to his room and see to it that he stays there."

"No – Ada, let me stay with him! This is all my fault – please…"

Elrond wasn't listening, focusing all of his efforts on saving Legolas. Glorfindel put an arm around Aragorn. "Come on, Estel. Let's go, Lord Elrond is doing everything he can."

Though he knew it was useless, Aragorn resisted, unwilling to be taken from his friend's side. What if Legolas died, and he wasn't there to witness it?

"Estel." Glorfindel got a firm grip on his waist and started hauling him out.

"Let go! Leave me alone, Glorfindel, let me go back to him!"

Aragorn writhed and tried to land a blow on the barlog slayer, but Glorfindel easily dodged his flailing fists, capturing them in one hand. Glorfindel got him to his room and pinned him to the bed. "Stop struggling, Estel, you're just making this harder."

It was no use. He'd never been a match for Glorfindel. Aragorn felt his limbs go limp. "It was my fault," he whispered. "I killed my best friend."

"It was _not_ your fault. That was an orc bolt in his chest, it was the fault of the orc who shot him."

"He only jumped in front of that bolt to save me. Why would he do that?"

"Oh Estel," Glorfindel sighed sadly. "He loves you; you're like a brother to him. Of course he'd do anything to save you."

"But I'm mortal! I'm going to die anyway, whereas he's supposed to live forever. That doesn't make any sense."

Glorfindel just shook his head. Hours passed, but Glorfindel's vigilance didn't wane, giving Aragorn no chance to sneak back to see Legolas. Just when he thought he would surely go mad from the waiting, the door opened.

Elrond stepped in, looking exhausted, but he gave Aragorn a wan smile. "Legolas is going to be ok. He'll be off his feet for a while, but there will be no lasting damage."

Aragorn got up from the bed and stumbled into the elf lord's arms. "Thank you, Ada," he whispered. Elrond embraced him warmly, rubbing his back.

"It's ok, Estel, everything will be alright," he comforted.

Aragorn only realized he was crying when Elrond wiped a few tears from his cheeks.

"Come, I'm sure you want to see him."

"Yes, please." Aragorn followed after Elrond, but paused at the entrance of the healing wing. How could he face his friend? Legolas had almost died, all because of him.

"Ion nin?"

"I – it's my fault, Ada." Aragorn's feet didn't seem to want to move. "What… what if he hates me?"

"He's not going to hate you, Estel. It was his choice to jump in front of that bolt."

"Only because I was stupid enough to let my guard down! If I'd seen the orc sooner, Legolas never would have had to jump in to save me."

Elrond put an arm around him, drawing him forward. "You had no reason to think there would be orcs in the area, ion nin. You have been there with your brothers many times before, and you've never had any problems. Legolas will not blame you."

They'd reached the prince's bedside. Legolas was cleaned up and pale as the sheets he lay on, but he was breathing. Aragorn fell into a chair next to him, gently taking the elf's hand.

"You should rest too, Estel, you are exhausted. Come, I will move this bed closer to Legolas', you can lie next to him."

The offer of a bed without having to leave his friend was too tempting to refuse, and Aragorn gratefully collapsed into it. He fell asleep somewhere between Elrond moving the bed over and tucking him in.

He woke to the sound of his name.

"Estel… Estel…"

Aragorn shot out of bed, hurrying to Legolas' side. "I am here, mellon nin."

Legolas groaned, and his eyes flickered open. Panic crossed his face. "There was an orc!"

"The orcs are dead, Elrohir took care of them." Aragorn lifted his friend's head and helped Legolas gulp down a glass of water. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Legolas was already trying to sit up, and Aragorn couldn't suppress a grin as he put a hand firmly on the prince's shoulder.

"No, you're not sitting up yet, you took an arrow to the back and very nearly died."

"I'm fine, Estel."

"If you're fine, mellon nin, then you can answer me this. _What in the name of the Valar were you doing?"_

Legolas blinked in confusion. "I was saving your life, you ungrateful human."

"At the expense of your own? You can't do that, Legolas!"

"Of course, I can, and I will. Did you really think I'd let you die?"

"You should have! Your life for mine is not a fair trade. I'm mortal; I'm going to die at some point. You're meant to live forever, gwador. You can't go sacrificing your life for me. It's too much of a waste."

Legolas was looking at him with a deep sadness in his eyes, one Aragorn had seldom seen there before. "It's not a waste, Estel. I am not going to live forever. I will die shortly after you do."

"W-What?"

"Estel, you are the brother of my heart. Our souls are linked, and I will not survive a separation. When you die, my heart will break. I will fade, whether I want to or not. So you see, my life for yours is indeed a fair trade. If you were to die, I would follow shortly after, but if I died, you would still have many years with your family to enjoy."

"You think I'd enjoy those years! What makes you think I want to live without you, mellon nin? I may not die of a broken heart like an elf would, but my heart would die just the same, even if my body kept on breathing."

He tried to hold them back, but it was no use, and tears spilled from Aragorn's eyes.

"Estel…" Legolas looked shocked by how upset he was, the stupid elf. Didn't he know how Aragorn felt about him? He hesitantly brought a hand to the back of Aragorn's neck, drawing him in so that the man was resting his head on the prince's stomach.

"I can't lose you," Aragorn cried. "Please, don't make me go on without you."

Legolas' body was shaking, and Aragorn realized he was crying too. "I cannot survive losing you, Estel. What would you have me do?"

Aragorn wrapped his arms carefully around his friend, mindful of his injury. He couldn't even begin to imagine a life without Legolas, but how could he expect the prince to do the same for a life without him?

"This is my fault," he mumbled. "You never should have met me."

"What nonsense are you talking now?"

"You could have lived forever! Now you're stuck with a mortal lifespan, all because of me."

"Estel come here. No, you won't hurt me, just get in here."

His friend lifted the blankets, and Aragorn gently slipped into the bed with him. Legolas pulled the man's head to rest on his outstretched arm.

"Now you listen to me, you silly human. Not a day goes by when I do not thank the Valar for bringing you into my life. If I could go back, I wouldn't change a thing, you understand? I would rather live one lifetime of love and laughter with you than an eternity without you. That is my choice to make, and you do not get to make it for me."

"I'm sorry," Aragorn whispered. He'd really made a mess of this.

"Estel, stop it! I am not sorry, and neither should you be." Legolas choked on the last words, pressing his cheek to the top of Aragorn's head. "Don't you dare underestimate the value of our friendship."

Perhaps the words alone wouldn't have convinced him, but when Aragorn looked up into Legolas' wet eyes, he saw his own pain mirrored there. Of course, Legolas felt the same about him. What arrogance would possess him to ever think otherwise?

"Then what do we do?" He pressed his head into Legolas' neck, unsure which of their bodies was shaking and causing the bed to tremble beneath them. "One of us has to die first, which will leave the other either dying of grief, or wishing he was."

"I don't know, mellon nin. Believe me, I wish I did."

He and Legolas had been friends for years now, but never had one of them come so close to death as the prince had today. All of the fear and grief that had built up in those horrible hours with Glorfindel broke loose, and Aragorn sobbed freely into his friend's neck.

Legolas brought an arm around him, making gentle hushing noises. "It's ok, Estel, I am here. I'm going to be alright… we both are."

"I almost lost you, don't tell me I'm going to be alright! Seeing you like that, so pale and still… my heart will never recover from that, mellon nin."

Legolas made no response but to pull him into a tighter embrace. Despite his assurances, the prince's body was tense and his tears wetted Aragorn's hair. He didn't know how long they lay like that for, sharing their misery and drawing what comfort they could from each other. At some point, Aragorn became aware of voices, and realized that the twins and Elrond had joined them without his noticing.

"… have to do it, Ada. Look at them."

"I know, Elladan, I know… It's not something that can be reversed, though."

"Do you seriously think they're going to want to reverse it? Elladan is right. We have to. If you won't do it, Ada, then I will."

Aragorn looked up to find his worried family standing around them. "Do what?"

Elrond sighed and sat down next to him. "Something I did for the twins many years ago. Some elves have a soulmate, someone they cannot live without. It's not always romantic – Elladan and Elrohir are each other's soulmates. It has been clear for some time that Legolas is yours, and vice versa. In these cases, we can do a bonding ritual, tying the two spirits together."

"How does that work?" Legolas' tears had dried and he suddenly looked hopeful.

"I perform a ceremony, recognizing what is already there in the eyes of the Valar. From then on, you and Estel will share each other's strength. When one if you is hurt, the other will be able to give them some of their own strength and vitality to survive. The catch is that if one of you dies, the other does too."

Legolas laughed. "Well, that's not a problem – in fact, that solves our problem."

"As is the case with all pairs like yours. You want to do it, then?"

"Yes," Aragorn said at once. "Do it now, Ada." Legolas nodded enthusiastically.

"No, I cannot do it now. Legolas needs to be stronger before he can survive it, but once he has recovered, I promise, I will conduct the ceremony."

Aragorn and Legolas exchanged a look of relief. "It won't matter who risks their lives to save who," Aragorn murmured. "We'll both be tied to the same life."

"Not that it'll change much, but I'll be happy to have a chance to heal you half as well as you always heal me when I'm injured."

"I didn't do a very good job this time." Aragorn hung his head. "Glorfindel had to drag me out."

"Hey, Estel, look at me. You thought I was going to die. I never would have expected you to remain calm in such circumstances."

"You know, of course, what this means." Elladan raised his eyebrow at the pair of them in an excellent imitation of Elrond. "You two are going to have to be more careful. Whenever you risk your life, it won't just be your life you're risking, but each other's."

Aragorn gulped as he looked at Legolas. He was indeed going to have to be more careful. It was one thing risking his own safety; he wouldn't have Legolas in danger, not if he could help it. He could tell from his friend's expression that the prince was having similar thoughts.

"Then we will be more careful," Aragorn said firmly. "A little less excitement in exchange for Legolas' life? That's a fair trade."

"It most certainly is," Legolas murmured.

Elrond smiled at the pair as they fell into easy conversation, eventually both drifting off, Estel with his head once more pillowed on Legolas' arm. It was the right thing to do, he knew. Many people didn't approve of the soul binding ritual, but for these two, it really was the best option. As Estel had said, it was more than worth it. He knew that this bond would hold his son in good stead for the many years to come.


End file.
